[GNC-dev] tb, gnc or me? my trial balance is wrong and I think it is gnc not me

[Wm]

On 10/02/2019 12:40, David Carlson wrote:
> Lets all step back a second and consider what the report is supposed to
> show before deciding whether it is always correct.

I think the report is conceptually broken.

> The report is supposed to cover all of the assets and liabilities that were
> selected when configured only over time interval which was also selected
> during the configuration. 

It doesn't do that as far as I can tell.

> It is supposed to use a method of valuation for
> accounts not in the base currency which is also selected during the report
> configuration.

It doesn't do that, actually.

My reading of the code (and I am an acknowledged fool when it comes to 
scheme) is that it uses a balance sheet type approach rather than a p+l 
type approach to time.  If I am right then the report is wrong to begin 
with, because a trial balance can be for either,

a P+L type report (i.e. tx from begin date to end date)

OR for

a Balance Sheet type report (i.e. start at the beginning up to a point, 
what have we got?)

> Over the last several years there have been a number of discussions about
> whether the various valuation methods work correctly, with respect to
> report dates vs dates available in the data file  and even whether the
> values should be displayed or calculated with exact i.e. fractional numbers
> or in floating point.  All of that is in the infrastructure, not in the
> actual report code.

That is incorrect.  A trial balance is a report, it shouldn't be doing 
valuations at all *except* right at the end, maybe.  If it is going to 
do valuations they should be presented separately from the account balances.

Remember flox, at trial balance (and it can be from any date to any 
date) you have something like

100 in your own currency
1 in your fantasy currency
10 shares (or similar) in investment A
11 units (or similar) in investment B
etc

*that* is what a trial balance should report, the *money* value of 
investment A, Investment B and the fantasy currency is what the Balance 
Sheet, etc is for, the TB is a different animal.

> I believe there were some code changes implemented over the life of the 2.6
> code series, and there were more changes in the transition to 3.x.

I don't think we're getting anywhere (I have read the bug thread)

> I think the bottom line is that yes, different code releases will give
> different results with some data even if the report configurations are
> scrupulously checked to be identical.

That's scary.

> Now, where do we want to go from here?

I think we need a new TB.  The problem is it can't be implemented 
however good it is because we're stuck with Scheme reports.

-- 
Wm